Chapter 31: Fire in the Hole

Tom worked feverishly to put together a special surprise for Roxanne the next evening, while she spent the day with her father. He texted her to meet him at The Hole in the Wall around 8.
Roxanne, unsure what Tom had been planning, couldn’t fathom why Tom would invite her to her old hangout, a place that made him so uncomfortable. It had been shuttered for weeks, waiting for a new owner. She felt strange walking up to the empty bar that held so many good memories for her.
She knocked on the door and moments later, Tom opened it, exposing the first part of his surprise. Inside, hundreds of candles on the empty tables lit up the bar. The flickering lights made the room sparkle, providing a romantic ambience.
“Wow,” said Roxanne. “I’ve never seen The Hole in the Wall look so dazzling,” she said.
“You said you wanted fire,” Tom gestured his arms out to all the candles spread throughout the room.
“Yeah,” Roxanne laughed, “I guess I did.”
He stepped over to the bar and pressed a button or two on his phone to play a slow song.
“Want to dance?” he asked.
“I didn’t think you would be the dancing type,” Roxanne looked at him, a sly smile forming on her lips.
“I’m not good, but I once attended a cotillion.” He walked back and placed his arms around her in a dancing frame. His feet started to move, flopping a bit, but otherwise completing the steps.
Roxanne smiled. Their bodies swayed together with the music.
“I want you to know how much you mean to me,” Tom said. “It’s not all about the plan and business.”
“I know,” Roxanne said, still swaying her hips with Tom’s. “I’m sorry. I can’t force you to change who you are. It’s just – strange - how this all came about,” she looked down at her stomach, “And I don’t always know how to handle it.”
He hugged her closer, her head resting on his chest.
“Well, you’re safe with me.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feeling of warmth she drew from Tom’s body.
“How did you get in here, anyway?” she asked, her head still relaxing on Tom.
“I bought the place,” he said, without missing a step.
Roxanne stepped away and looked at Tom. Her sudden and abrupt movement surprised Tom.
“Tom, you can’t just buy my affection.”
“I know, I thought you’d be happy.”
“Happy, I’m just – shocked. I thought you didn’t like this place, you know, people and all?”
“It’s not like I have to be here all the time. We can hire someone to run it. I already thought about it. We can hire any of the staff who worked for Owen if they want to come back, and for the open positions, I think I know some residents who live above the coffee shop that could use some extra hours.”
“I just don’t want the vibe of this place to change. We’re so different. How can we make this work?” She looked around as if viewing the bar in a new way.
“Don’t change a thing,” Tom said.
“Well, I always hated that paint color in the hallway.” She pointed towards the bathroom, wrinkling her nose.
Tom grinned. “That’s my girl.”
“Actually, there are a few construction projects I can handle around here,” she put her hands on her hips, scanning the venue. “It’ll still remain a place where construction workers and firemen and businessmen can all mingle and grab a beer.” She nodded.
She looked at the pool table. “And we can have a pool tournament,” she said. “No gambling, just an entry fee.”
Tom nodded. “Now you’re talking.”
“Oh, Tom. I can’t believe you bought a bar.” She flashed a huge smile and ran into Tom’s arms, hugging him tightly.
He hugged her back then broke their embrace to temper her excitement. “Owen wasn’t making much from it. If we hire someone to manage it, we’ll just about break even. But I bought it for you. You’ve had so many big changes in your life. And this baby will be the biggest change of all. I want you to have a place where you feel comfortable.”
“Are you sure you didn’t just do this so my dad would like you more?” Roxanne asked.
Tom smiled and shook his head a little. She stepped in closer and kissed him.
“It’s kind of weird when it’s empty,” she said. “I’ve always kind of wanted to dance on top of the bar,” she looked at him with a naughty grin.
He pressed a button on his phone to play a sultry dance song. Roxanne climbed up and started moving her hips. She shook her body seductively, twisting with the music. Then she reached down for Tom, inviting him to join her on the bar. He held her hips close to his, and they rocked back and forth.
When the song was over, Tom hopped down and helped Roxanne off the bar. He caught her as she fell into his arms, and he kissed her fervently on the lips. She pulled him down behind the bar and straddled him, not wasting any time unzipping his pants.
She smashed her lips into his. Their kisses were feverish and sloppy. Roxanne sat up and removed her shirt, unsnapped her bra, and let it fall to the floor. Sitting on top of Tom’s legs, she looked down into his eyes as he fondled her breasts. She pulled down his pants along with her own and mounted him.
With the music still playing, Roxanne moved her hips as Tom lay back enjoying the ride. Afterwards, she fell onto him, their naked bodies joined together on the cool bar room floor.
She couldn’t believe Tom bought The Hole in the Wall for her, and she couldn’t wait to tell her dad that his old watering hole would soon be back in business.
They dressed, and Tom pulled two chairs up to a table near the bar. He poured them each a soda, brought them over, and sat down looking a little nervous.
“Now that the fun is over, I have something to tell you,” he said, and Roxanne did not like the worried look on his face.